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Background to the Suspension of Dr Raj Mattu
27. On 26 February 2002 Dr Mattu was also suspended from his position as Honorary Senior Lecturer at Warwick University. No reason was given. Following objections raised by Dr Mattu's solicitor and local MPs, the suspension was rescinded on 29 April 2002. No explanation has been provided. The University has refused to respond to requests to provide information as to how or why they took the action they did.
28. It has emerged that the Registrar at the University, Dr JW Nicholls, also holds the posts of Chairman of Research & Development at the NHS Trust and Non-Executive Director on the Board of Directors at the NHS Trust. Dr Nicholls receives payments from the Trust for both of these formal positions. We are aware that he has briefed within the University about Dr Mattu, breaking Trust regulations regarding confidentiality. The reinstatement committee has serious concerns about Dr Nicholls' conflict of interest and impartiality.
29. On 4 March 2002 the Chairman of the Trust Board (Mr Bryan Stoten) announced the Chief Executive's (David Loughton) resignation, interestingly just 11 days after the suspension of Dr Mattu.
30. On 31 March 2002 the single complainant (Dr Gieowarsingh) against Dr Mattu left the Trust to take up a post in Cardiff. Subsequently it became apparent that there were concerns regarding the accuracy of his CV with respect to his claims of experience of major procedures, the performance of which played no part in his job at the Trust. Indeed until 5 November 2001 his contract specifically precluded him from performing these major invasive procedures. There has been no comment to date by the Trust and it is unclear if the hospital in Cardiff has been informed of the concerns.
31. When these irregularities about the CV were formally raised with the Coventry NHS Trust, Drs Booth and Been were charged with investigating the issues despite both being referees for this applicant and this CV.
32. Having for no apparent reason also suspended Mr Needham since 21 February 2002, he was eventually re-instated on 11 April 2002, but only with a contract till 31 May 2002. Importantly, Professor Janet Powell (Joint Medical Director) revealed that Dr S Evans had been obstructing Mr Needham's return to work.
33. On 29 May 2002 Dr Mattu accompanied by his representative from the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (Mr Stephen Campion) attended a meeting with Dr Michael Harrison in order to formally rebut the allegations against him. Included was a 60-page rebuttal document. Dr Harrison refused to allow the rebuttal document to be presented and instead read out 5 pages of summary of additional allegations - a photocopy of which was presented at the end of the meeting. Importantly, he refused to allow any comment by either Dr Mattu or Mr Campion. 34. Interestingly, the Trust's witnesses Drs Gieowarsingh and Lencioni signed their witness statements on 28 and 29 May 2002, respectively.
34. On the following day, 30 May 2002, Mr Edward Needham was denied access to Dr Mattu's research computers by Dr Mauro Lencioni, one of Dr Mattu's Research Fellows who is the Trust's key witness in the allegations against Dr Mattu. Mr Needham had every right to access the computer. Mr Needham asked the Chairman of the Senior Hospital Medical Staff Committee to attend. They both witnessed Dr Lencioni copying and deleting computer files from Dr Mattu's computer despite being instructed to cease his activities.
On behalf of Dr Raj Mattu Reinstatement Committee,
PO Box 2912, Coventry. CV1 3YX
For more information contact: mail@drmrc.co.uk